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PLAN STATEMENT
 
It gives me pleasure to present the St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan as a plan of 'firsts':
  • It is the first of three new Local Plans being prepared across Fife.
  • It is the first Local Plan in Fife to be produced specifically for the Internet. It will therefore be more accessible to those able to surf the world wide web at home or through other facilities such as the Council's libraries - and it allows you to comment on the Plan online.
  • It is the first of our Local Plans to have been informed by a comprehensive consultation exercise Your Place Your Plan which involved 2,200 people, generated 9,300 comments and included consultations on other initiatives by the Council and its partners - all before a word of the Local Plan was written.
  • It is the first Fife Local Plan to include standard policies applicable across Fife.
  • It is the first of our Local Plans to be accompanied by an Action Plan listing the proposals affecting communities, which sectors or organisations have the lead responsibility for implementing them, and indicates their timescales so that both the Council and you can monitor progress.
The St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan is published alongside the new Fife Structure Plan which sets out a vision for Fife over the next 20 years. The development plan framework provided by these documents is ambitious and aspirational; to many, it will be contentious, but Fife is looking ahead to meeting the environmental, economic, and social challenges that lie ahead. Not least among these is the need to provide houses of a quality and price affordable to those who find it difficult to stay within their own communities. Providing local services and infrastructure such as transport improvements and drainage, and facilities to serve communities also presents a challenge to the public sector service providers and to the private sector who increasingly will provide the necessary investment.
This draft Local Plan therefore opens a dialogue for a planning framework which will be shaped by your response to it - whether you are an interested individual, employer, landowner, community volunteer, or developer. I therefore encourage you to participate in the public consultation arranged to hear your views and which is publicised separately. You can be assisted by the staff of Development Services and can contact them on 01334 412801; alternatively you can obtain information from www.fifedirect.org.uk
I look forward to seeing the development of this plan as it moves towards becoming formal Council policy in the next 3 years - and to the part you can play in achieving that.
 
Cllr Frances M. Melville
Chair of Fife Council's East Area Development Committee
 
INTRODUCTION
The Fife Development Plan is the statutory policy framework for land use planning in Fife. It is made up of the Fife Structure Plan and Local Plans. The Structure Plan sets the strategic guidance for the future development of Fife and identifies the general location and scale of development. Local Plans apply the strategy locally and identify where change is proposed by describing the location and nature of development, and explains where stability is sought, thereby providing a basis for managing development and for investment decisions.
The Fife Structure Plan covers the 20-year period from 2006-26. The St Andrews and East Fife Local Plan is one of 3 Local Plans being prepared for Fife (see figure 1.1). This draft Local Plan canvasses public opinion on the first 10 years from 2006-16. This aligns the Local Plan with the Fife Structure Plan which sets the strategic planning vision. Both Plans will be regularly reviewed.
 
Figure 1.1 Local Plan Areas
click for full size image
click for full size image
 
This Local Plan comprises:
  • The Plan Statement which describes the strategy and provides a summary of the planning issues, policies, and proposals affecting individual towns and villages in Town and Village plans.
  • A proposals map identifying the areas where policies apply and identifying the location of development proposals. The proposals map includes the individual map insets with the Town and Village Plans.
  • Fife local plan core policies which apply across Fife and are used in decisions to manage and promote development.
An Action Plan is published along with the Local Plan to specify planning proposals, who will be responsible for them, and their anticipated timescales. Information on proposals for individual towns and villages is also summarised in the Plan Statement. The Action Plan will be updated every two years to monitor progress on implementing the Local Plan.
Fife Council will assess the Local Plan's content and publish, for public consultation, an Environmental Report on the findings of the assessment when the finalised Local Plan is published (see figure 1.2).
 
Figure 1.2 The Plan Procedure
Context
Scotland's National Planning Framework sets out an achievable long-term vision for Scotland and identifies the likely change to 2025. It identifies the strategic development potential of the transport corridor from Aberdeen-Edinburgh-Newcastle, which crosses the Local Plan area, and acknowledges the potential to build on St Andrews' tourism and academic profile.
The Local Plan is prepared under the umbrella of the Fife Community Plan and Fife Structure Plan. The Community Plan provides the shared vision for Fife of public sector partners and the wider Fife community over the next ten years. The Local Plan also has regard to other plans and programmes prepared by Fife Council and its partners. As one of 3 Local Plans being prepared for Fife, the strategy of this Local Plan will complement the Structure Plan and the adjacent Kirkcaldy and Mid-Fife Local Plan.
The Fife Development Plan fits into a wider legal context set by European Directives and is guided by the Scottish Executive's Scottish Planning Policy (SPPs), National Planning Policy Guidelines (NPPGs), Planning Advice Notes (PANs), and Circulars. These are available on the Scottish Executive website and their contents are reflected in this Plan's policies but not repeated.
How to comment on the Local Plan
The draft version of this Plan invites comments in support of, or against, it's content. It includes options for development sites and, in some cases, these are indicated by showing the general locations being considered by Fife Council but without defining precise boundaries. These sites will be refined and shown in detail once consultation has taken place on the draft Plan. At various points in Town and Village Plans, prompts are inserted to canvass your opinion on particular issues; these prompts are flagged with this symbol:
Written comments should be made on the form supplied with the Local Plan. The Plan can be viewed on www.fifedirect.org.uk . Further copies of the form can be obtained from Development Services or can be downloaded from the website. In the event that you need assistance in preparing your response to this document, please contact Development Services and we will provide appropriate assistance.
The public consultation period is 7 March 2005 to 2 May 2005
Please return completed comments forms to: Keith Winter, Head of Development Services, Fife House, North Street, Glenrothes, Fife KY7 5LT or email them to development.services@fife.gov.uk.
For further information, please contact: Bill Lindsay, Team Leader, Local & Community Policy. Telephone: 01334 412790. Email: bill.lindsay@fife.gov.uk .
 
THE LOCAL PLAN DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Strategic context
 
1.1 The Fife Structure Plan sets the strategic policy context for St Andrews and East Fife. The focus is on:
 
  • Sustainable communities to be developed and maintained by delivering affordable housing as part of new development. This will include promoting medium scale planned developments in locations at: Leuchars and Guardbridge; St Andrews; Cupar; the Tay bridgehead (including Wormit, Newport-on-Tay and Tayport); Newburgh; and in the East Neuk.
  • Growing Fife's population with the focus on Mid Fife but allowing for slight increases in East Fife.
  • Growing the economy by attracting inward investment, and supporting and strengthening the rural economy. In this context, St Andrews will be promoted as one of Fife's three key town centres and will be developed as a world class destination building on its international profile.
  • St Andrews' development as an asset for the knowledge and tourist based economy is supported, and the area will be the location for major new employment-creating development. This includes support to realise the commercial potential of the higher education sector.
  • Increased transport connectivity to, from, and within Fife. This includes identifying opportunities for improvements to public transport infrastructure, and for economic and transport development at RAF Leuchars.
  • Strategic employment sites to be identified together with a seven-year supply of employment land in towns with a population greater than 5,000 and in clusters in rural areas.
  • The designation of a green belt for St Andrews which will take account of long term development beyond the next 20 years, and of the need to protect the town's landscape setting.
Development contributions
1.2 Successful implementation of the Local Plan strategy will rely on developments making a contribution to the costs they create in terms of impact on the environment, communities, infrastructure, and services. The value of development land across Fife has reached a level which makes development contributions a realistic expectation. Where deficiencies occur, developers will be expected to make an appropriate contribution to any shortfall related to their development as well as providing for all that is required to bring forward that development.
1.3 Local Plan policy S2 (development contributions) sets out the Council's requirement for all new development to address any shortfalls in community infrastructure and/or mitigate any adverse impact they create by seeking development contributions to the costs. This is necessary to neutralise the impact on the capital costs to public sector service providers and bodies responsible for maintaining infrastructure and services. The Town and Village plans specify the contributions sought from development proposals.
THE STRATEGY
1.4 The Local Plan strategy sets the framework for the policies and proposals in the Local Plan and defines what the Local Plan will do to achieve these and meet the Structure Plan's objectives. It is informed by feedback from public involvement in the Your Place Your Plan consultation events during the Plan's preparation. The Local Plan strategy is to:
 
  • Focus medium scale development in six areas.
  • Grow the economy.
  • Meet housing needs.
  • Care for the environment.
  • Provide for community needs.
  • Develop the transport network.
  Medium scale development
  Objective
1.5 Six areas are identified for medium scale development:
  1. St Andrews;
2. Leuchars and Guardbridge;
3. Cupar;
4. The Tay bridgehead area of Newport-on-Tay/Wormit and Tayport;
5. Newburgh; and
6. East Neuk settlements of Anstruther, Colinsburgh, Crail, Elie, Kilrenny, Kingsbarns, St Monans, Pittenweem.
1.6 Within these six areas new planned development is proposed to provide sustainable communities. The medium scale development will take the form of a combination of uses which, together with organic growth in other communities throughout East Fife, will contribute to the Structure Plan's target for growth both in Fife's economy and population over the period from 2006 to 2026. In determining locations for new development, Fife Council has taken account of public opinion expressed through public involvement events and balanced these against wider public interests. These are areas where infrastructure capacity is available, or where it should be provided and can be supported by further development; which relate well with the transport network; which have an acceptable or manageable environmental impact; and which are accessible to core community services such as schools, shops, or local facilities either on a self-contained basis or collectively as a cluster of communities.
1.7 The spatial map for this Local Plan (Figure. 1.3) illustrates the areas favoured for the focus of development between 2006-16 and beyond.
 
  Figure 1.3 Spatial Strategy
 
   
  St Andrews
1.8 St Andrews' role as the principal town in East Fife is recognised in the Local Plan strategy. Funding for additional house building and community infrastructure to meet identified community needs, and to provide a mix of development including new sites for economic development, can be met by releasing development land in areas best able to absorb the landscape and environmental impact. St Andrews remains one of Scotland's most popular locations as a place to live but this, together with limited development opportunities, has affected the housing market. The effect has been to increase land and house prices to the extent that new affordable housing for local people on lower incomes has all but disappeared and development pressure on the town's open spaces and older employment sites has increased. St Andrews needs to grow to provide the scale of development that will help to contribute investment in new housing that is affordable to more people in the local community, community facilities and services, and employment opportunities, thereby helping to sustain the community. Public sector funding for new facilities serving St Andrews and the wider area is limited, but private sector capital secured through planning gain can provide the scale of investment necessary.
1.9 The development strategy is, therefore, to expand St Andrews over the next 20 years at locations considered most capable of absorbing new development. The strategy nevertheless recognises that the town's landscape setting has a limited capacity to accommodate expansion. That limit is defined by a green belt boundary which is set for the next 30 years. Development within the first 10 years of that period is identified on the proposals map and that is the development on which the Local Plan canvasses views. The green belt boundaries identified in the Local Plan take account of the need to provide land for development over and beyond the plan period, but some of the development currently pressing St Andrews will be accommodated in the Leuchars and Guardbridge area.
1.10 The Local Plan allocates sites at the University of St Andrews' North Haugh/Langlands campus to identify and protect the land required for new educational facilities, and accommodate the academic growth and commercial spin-off developments anticipated to take place over the period to 2026. The Council will work in partnership with the University of St Andrews to develop a campus plan over that period. The content of the campus plan is incorporated in the Local Plan and the principal areas for future development are identified on the Proposals Map.
 

St Andrews' future development is defined to:

  • Cater for development needs over the next 20 years within the defined inner boundary of a green belt set for a 30-year period, and the population growing to around 17,000 by 2016.
  • Support business and academic development at the University of St Andrews over the period to 2026.
  • Allocate land for business development.
  • Provide land to accommodate business development and growth.
  • Provide for mixed tenure residential development, including affordable housing to meet local needs.
  • Ensure development makes an effective contribution to infrastructure costs.
See also the St Andrews Town Plan and the Action Plan
   
  Leuchars and Guardbridge
1.11 The St Andrews-Dundee corridor via Guardbridge and Leuchars is a key transport route linking St Andrews and the East Neuk with Dundee and the north-east of Scotland, other areas of Fife, and the central belt. Within this transport corridor, Leuchars and Guardbridge have been identified as places which can expand to take advantage of the area's road and rail connections to promote it as a location for new development investment.
 

The Leuchars and Guardbridge area is promoted for mixed-use development to:

  • Relieve St Andrews of some of the housing-led development pressure and broaden the development opportunities to encompass employment and community needs.
  • Provide for mixed tenure residential development, including affordable housing to meet local needs.
  • Ensure development makes an effective contribution to infrastructure costs.
  • Take advantage of the public transport connections via Leuchars rail station.

See the Leuchars and Guardbridge Town Plans and the Action Plan for further details.
 
  Cupar
1.12 Cupar's population has grown significantly over the last 30 years - almost 30% between 1971 and 2001 - but that growth has not been matched by the growth in the town's services and facilities. Cupar has remained popular as a place to live and this has been reflected in rapid increases in house prices which have placed it as one of the least affordable towns in Scotland in which to buy a house according to recent surveys. It has lost its role as Fife's 'County Town' and agricultural market for the surrounding area, and has developed largely as a commuter town. The challenge is to find a new role for Cupar which reclaims and retains the use of services by the growing population, and which can attract and support additional services and business.
1.13 In the longer term, a key planning issue for Cupar is how and where it should expand. Growth would enable a development funded northern distributor route to be constructed at minimal cost to the public purse, and provide further investment options for employment land, housing, retailing, and community facilities. The Local Plan invites public comments on where and how Cupar should grow over the next 30 years but, in the meantime, the Council will be undertaking work to assess the economic and transport viability of a northern distributor route as part of a wider review of transportation options.
 

The Local Plan promotes the area centred on Cupar as a focus for development to:

  • Increase Cupar's population to around 10,000 by 2016.
  • Provide for mixed tenure residential development, including affordable housing to meet local needs.
  • Consolidate Cupar's role as the commercial and service centre for rural East Fife by encouraging further retail development in the town centre and attracting further commercial investment.
  • Ensure development makes an effective contribution to infrastructure costs, including development of the strategic transport network.

See the Cupar Town Plan and the Action Plan for further details.
 
  Tay bridgehead
1.14 The Tay bridgehead area (centred around Newport-on-Tay, Wormit and Tayport) is important to Fife's connections to the north because of the cross-Tay transport links, and the shopping, business and employment relationships with Dundee and Angus. The planning strategies of Fife and the neighbouring Councils has been to meet the housing and development needs of their respective areas, particularly in relation to housing, so that unnecessary commuter traffic is discouraged. That approach to housing land and the provision of new opportunities for local employment land is continued in this Local Plan.
 

The Local Plan strategy for the Tay bridgehead is to:

  • Release land for housing.
  • Provide for mixed tenure residential development, including affordable housing to meet local needs.
  • Ensure development makes an effective contribution to infrastructure costs, including a new rail station at Wormit and a park-and-ride facility at Newport.
  • Provide new employment land to encourage investment and business growth.

See the Newport-on-Tay, Wormit and Tayport Town Plans and the Action Plan for further details.
 
  Newburgh
1.15 Interest in recent development at Newburgh waterfront on the site of the former linoleum factory has demonstrated the potential of this historic town. Newburgh has been depressed in terms of growth and development over the last 10 years and the perception of Newburgh at the periphery of north Fife has not helped to realise the town's potential. It is well located to have a strong functional role both within Fife and looking outwards to Perthshire.
 

The Local Plan strategy is to build on Newburgh's assets:

  • Develop Newburgh as a northern gateway to Fife from Perthshire.
  • Provide a better mix of affordable and higher priced market housing which will balance the community profile and increase local investment and spending power.
  • Ensure development makes an effective contribution to infrastructure costs, including a new rail station.
See the Newburgh Town Plan and the Action Plan for further details.
 
  East Neuk settlements
  These comprise Anstruther, Colinsburgh, Crail, Elie, Kilrenny, Kingsbarns, St Monans and Pittenweem
1.16 The East Neuk is relatively disadvantaged in respect of its connections with the transport network when compared with other population centres in Fife. It is nevertheless a popular area to set up home and to visit. The principal local service centre for the area is Anstruther and Cellardyke which, together, have become established as an area of tourism and commercial activity. The East Neuk is also notable for a high proportion of second homes which add pressure to the local housing market. This is indicative of the changing role of the East Neuk which has suffered economically from restructuring in fishing and agriculture and is seen increasingly as an attractive location for retirees and 'weekend residents' which affects local economic activity. The Local Plan will help to further develop diversity and growth in this area by capitalising on the existing assets and encouraging economic diversity. Development proposals will be predominantly housing-led, however other development land releases will be for commercial and employment land appropriate to the needs of the area. Employment land is identified in Anstruther and St. Monans, and further brownfield redevelopment opportunities are identified in St. Monans and Pittenweem.
 

The Local Plan strategy for Anstruther and the East Neuk is to:

  • Support Anstruther's role as the principal local centre serving the East Neuk.
  • Encourage development that will assist in diversifying the rural economy, including support for traditional industries such as fishing and agriculture.
  • Provide for mixed tenure residential development, including affordable housing to meet local needs.
  • Identify development of an appropriate scale and design to retain the distinctiveness and character of East Neuk villages.
  • Preserve separation between coastal villages.

See the Town & Village Plans and the Action Plan for further details.
  Growing the economy
  Objectives
1.17
  • Improve local employment prospects by identifying land for business and commerce which will help to sustain the rural economy.
  • Support St Andrews in its role as a centre of academic excellence and encourage business to develop on that foundation.
  • Promote Cupar as a location for business investment and growth and consolidate its role as an important retail centre for East Fife.
  • Diversify the business and employment base by supporting new economic development.
  • Encourage new job opportunities close to rural communities.
1.18 Competition for jobs is increasing not only within Fife but also across Scotland, the UK, and in an expanded Europe. The planning system therefore needs to support the assets that can attract new and diverse economic activity. East Fife has a high dependence on a large number of small businesses mainly in agriculture, construction, and services. The Local Plan strategy is not to compete with larger urban areas better placed to attract large-scale manufacturing and industry; rather, the strategy is to build on the area's strengths and assets such as the high quality environment, and educational facilities capacity.
1.19 A healthy local economy and business sector is essential to sustainable communities and this is acknowledged in Fife's Community Plan. Private and public sector initiatives can, within the Fife Development Plan framework, help create an environment in which the local economy can thrive and provide for the establishment of new businesses - important in rural areas where traditional jobs in the fishing and farming sectors are under pressure.
1.20 The funding regime for farming changes significantly from January 2005. The direct link between grant support and production will be severed and farmers, with more 'freedom to farm', are better able to use their resources in other ways and consider potential diversification projects. Consequently, there may now be more opportunities for farm diversification and the Local Plan policies provide support for such diversification.
1.21 East Fife also had a considerable industrial heritage and a few large industrial employers remain but, compared to other parts of Fife, manufacturing is not well represented in the pattern of employment. Nevertheless, over 80% of the adult population in East Fife are economically active, equal to the Fife average. The area continues to attract economically active residents, partly because many are able to travel out of the area to work in skilled and professional occupations. Significant local employment with large service sector establishments is restricted mainly to RAF Leuchars and the University of St Andrews, as well as other public services in healthcare and with Fife Council.
 
  Town centres
  See also the Town & Village Plans and Policy R1
1.22 The main town centres in East Fife have a key role in local economic growth by supporting employment, leisure and cultural services, and retailing and business. St Andrews is one of the town centres in Fife regarded as key to Fife's economic growth and the Local Plan strategy recognises that the town has potential to make a contribution to the economy of East Fife and Fife as a whole. The St Andrews' Town Plan explains in more detail what this means in terms of land use and development in the town. Compared to that envisaged for Cupar, St Andrews' retail role is seen as serving more visitor and tourism needs, but with an emphasis on quality. It should, nevertheless, be able to develop along with the town and this will include changes to the town centre's environment to provide for a more attractive and comfortable experience for all who use it.
1.23 Cupar is in Fife's second tier of town centres in terms of size, scale of retail activity, and presence of national chain stores. Nevertheless, the Local Plan proposes additional development in the town within the Plan period and raises the prospect of increasing its population to around 10,000 by 2016; if that prospect were to be realised, further development of the town centre should take place. The Local Plan vision for Cupar is one in which it strengthens its role as an important retail centre for East Fife given its central location and where non-retail businesses - such as the professional services sector - can develop further.
   
  Expanding business
1.24 There are two strands to broadening the local business base. The first is to build on the potential for academic links to foster business opportunities. The University of St Andrews in particular has a key role in this respect by developing its landholdings at the western edge of the town to encourage small and medium-size businesses in spin-off business space. Scotland has the capacity to grow such businesses which can create wealth through the commercial development of research and teaching. The University's global reputation for excellence in scientific research is an asset to Fife and Scotland. Research contracts in 2002-03 were valued at almost £20 million and, as one of the highest rated universities in the field of scientific research, it provides a platform for developing knowledge based business, attracting further investment, and making a major contribution to the Fife economy through the volume and value of jobs it creates. The Local Plan strategy is to work with the University and Scottish Enterprise Fife to realise the University's potential to create economic opportunities from its academic activities. The St Andrews Town Plan illustrates where development will take place.
1.25 The second strand to expanding the business base in East Fife is to provide a flexible planning policy framework which will allow new employment opportunities and commerce in rural areas as well as in towns. The Local Plan does this with a view to supporting diversification of farming activities, giving preference to business use over housing when considering the redevelopment of rural properties, and encouraging more sites for employment land in areas where the demand is high and the opportunities exist. A strategic objective of the Fife Development Plan is to provide a seven-year supply of employment land in towns with a population greater than 5,000; the Local Plan therefore identifies new employment land in St Andrews and Cupar. To assist job prospects available to smaller and more rural communities across East Fife, the Local Plan also identifies employment land at Leuchars, Guardbridge, the Tay bridgehead area, Auchtermuchty, Anstruther, St. Monans, Newburgh, and Cameron.
 
  Tourism
1.26 Tourism is a cornerstone of the local economy in many parts of East Fife, and is significant nationally in terms of income and supporting employment. St Andrews' role is again central to the Local Plan strategy as it has a competitive advantage as the recognised 'home of golf' and through its cultural connections. In addition, the University has potential to support tourism through its heritage, accommodation, and academic resources. East Fife as a whole is attractive to visitors as a place for leisure activities with assets such as the environment of East Neuk coastal villages, championship golf courses, the Fife Coastal Path and inland walking routes. Hotel and commercial leisure development are therefore supported by the Local Plan strategy and opportunities are identified at Craigtoun Park and the former airfield at Fife Ness, Crail.
  Meeting housing need
  Objectives
1.27
  • Allow for housing development to meet the strategic housing land requirement and provide a minimum five-year effective land supply at all times.
  • Contribute to providing affordable and special needs housing to help meet the Fife Local Housing Strategy objectives.
  • Allocate suitable land for development in locations that are accessible to basic community services either on a self-contained basis in settlements, or collectively within a cluster of communities.
1.28 The housing land element of the Local Plan strategy is set by the Structure Plan and implemented by allocating land to meet the strategic requirement in two Housing Market Areas (HMAs) - Cupar HMA and St Andrews' HMA. In practice, this equates to identifying land over the next 20 years for 2,400 and 4,000 new houses for each housing market area. The Fife Housing Partnership launched Fife's first Local Housing Strategy (LHS) in 2004. The LHS is a five-year strategy for the period from 2003-08 and discharges Fife Council's statutory duty brought about by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001. The LHS represents partnership working involving Fife Council, NHS Fife, Scottish Enterprise Fife, housing agencies and groups representing the public and private rented sector, the voluntary sector, and Communities Scotland.
   
  Local plan housing land requirement 2006-2011
1.29 National planning policy requires development plans to ensure that there is a minimum five-year supply of housing land which is expected to be free from development constraints within the Plan period. The land supply should, where possible, provide for a variety of sites in terms of size, location, and house types in areas where potential house-buyers want to live. The Structure Plan sets the housing land requirement, and the Local Plan identifies land to meet the development requirement in the period to 2016.
 
HMA
Requirement
2006-11
Shortfall
2006-11
Requirement
2011-16
Shortfall
2011-16
Cupar 600 300 600 450
St Andrews 1,000 680 1,000 750
Total 1,600 980 1,600 1,200
   
1.30 The above position has been identified having taken into account the existing land supply, urban capacity assessments and contributions from windfall (unanticipated) and small sites (fewer than 5 houses). The land requirement for the period 2011-2016 is subject to a review of the Fife Development Plan which will take place by 2011.
1.31 In allocating land for development, the Council has taken account of the availability of infrastructure (or where it can be provided by development funding), the transport network, environmental factors, and access to core community services such as schools, shops, or local facilities. Local Plan Policy S1 (sustainability) has also been applied. Community consultations undertaken in preparing the Plan confirmed that there is widespread concern, particularly among smaller communities, that small towns and villages will become swamped by new development. Where possible, therefore, the Council has sought to apply some proportionality in allocating land for development but adjusted the distribution of housing land to take account of physical, infrastructural, and environmental characteristics.
   
  Five-year housing land supply
1.32 The housing land supply in the Fife Housing Review 2004 provides the most up-to-date housing position. The land supply at that date achieves a continuous five-year supply for both housing market areas as required by national policy.
   
  5 Year Housing Land Supply Position from 2004 - 09 as at 1 April 2004
 
A Five-year housing supply requirement[1]
  Cupar HMA 516
  St Andrews HMA 856
  East Fife 1,372
B Contribution from the existing housing supply[2]
  Cupar HMA 682
  St Andrews HMA 875
  East Fife 1,557
C Assumed contributions from windfall and small sites [3]
  Cupar HMA 150
  St Andrews HMA 242
  East Fife 392
D The 5 year supply balance [(B+C)-A] [4]
  Cupar HMA 316
  St Andrews HMA 261
  East Fife 577
[1] Annualised 2004/06 requirement from Fife Structure Plan, July 2002. Annualised 2006/09 requirement from Fife Matters: Fife Structure Plan Consultative Draft, February 2005.
[2] Source: Fife Housing Review 2004 and St Andrews & East Fife Draft Local Plan.
[3] Windfalls and small sites are annualised for the period 2004/09. Figures for 2004/06 come from the Fife Structure Plan Report of Survey, January 2001, Table 4.13a; and figures for 2006/09 are from Fife Matters: Fife Structure Plan Consultative Draft, February 2005.
[4] If the balance is negative this denotes a shortfall in the 5 year supply, but the balance in this case is positive and so the 5 year supply has been achieved.
   
1.33 The Local Plan is the preferred means of identifying land for development. The Local Plan identifies a housing land supply to provide a continuous supply through to 2016. Details of these sites can be found in the Town and Village Plans, and in the Action Plan. The release of the land supply for development will be controlled to ensure it is not developed too early in the plan period.
   
  Affordable housing
1.34 Two of Fife's greatest assets - its location and environmental quality - contribute to pressuring the housing market. Lying within commuting distance of Dundee, Perth, Stirling, and Edinburgh has helped to attract a high demand both from within and beyond Fife's boundaries. The Local Housing Strategy (LHS) records that 60% of second homes in Fife are in East Fife (almost 38% in the East Neuk alone). People attending community consultation events in East Fife in 2004 indicated that access to, and availability of, affordable homes represents the greatest concern to communities and to the housing industry which will provide the majority of the houses. A housing needs assessment is currently being undertaken on behalf of Fife Council the results of which will further inform the Local Plan.
1.35 Fife Council aims to tackle the affordable housing issue through regeneration initiatives driven by the Structure Plan. Regeneration is also a rural matter, however, and the limited affordable housing in rural Fife is having an impact on community networks, rural services, and the local economy. The greatest house price rises in Fife between 1998 and 2003 (80% and above) have been in the East Neuk and St Andrews areas. In the interests of social inclusion, Fife Council is fully committed to creating mixed and balanced communities and, consequently, it is important to meet the needs of those who are unable to compete in the open housing market. Affordable housing, including special needs housing, will be sought in those areas where there is a demonstrated need, and a mix of tenures will be sought including low cost ownership and social rented. Given Fife's changing demographic profile, in terms of ageing population and a projected increase in the number of elderly persons, the provision of special needs housing will be particularly important.
1.36 Affordable housing therefore plays a central role in Fife's Development Plan strategy in support of the LHS. The Structure Plan sets a requirement for sites of more than 10 houses to contribute a proportion of their capacity as affordable housing and for a commuted sum to be payable from sites for 2 to 10 houses (inclusive). The proportions that apply are: 40% in the Cupar housing market area, and 45% in the St Andrews housing market area. The Council will work with the housebuilding industry in providing affordable housing as part of development proposals and planning briefs for new development will promote the new policy approach. In the interests of equity, delivery of affordable housing will be sought on all appropriate developments, commensurate with scale. This may also be applied to non-residential development. Supplementary guidance explains how the affordable housing policy is applied.
See also policy H3 of the Plan.
  Caring for the environment
  Objectives
1.37
  • Ensure new development accords with the principles of sustainability.
  • Promote high standards of design and development to conserve landscape and urban character.
  • Protect the countryside from unplanned development sprawl but allow for development which supports the rural economy or has a specific need for a rural location.
  • Conserve sites important to the natural environment in terms of habitat or species, and conserve the built heritage.
1.38 The environmental assets of East Fife are considerable: these include over 3,100 listed buildings; 24 conservation areas; its landscape quality and character; over 4,500 archaeological sites and more than 200 ancient monuments; sites of importance to nature conservation, including the Isle of May, with international and national designations as well as sites of more local importance; and 119 Tree Preservation Orders. Afforested areas and the 117 kilometres of coastline are particular characteristics of rural East Fife. These assets are covered by policies in the Local Plan.
See Section 2 and Section 5 of the Core Policy document for the relevant policies.
   
  Protecting the environment
1.39 The pattern of towns, villages, and rural hamlets across the Local Plan area is an integral part of the area's character. Local Plan proposals for new development take account of these features with a view to protecting the overall environmental quality and have used landscape plans, where they exist, to inform those decisions. The Local Plan proposals map defines urban envelopes (limits of development) only for those towns and villages of 25 houses or more, or where the Local Plan supports development that will increase a settlement's size beyond 25 houses. Settlements with fewer than 25 houses are not defined by envelopes in the Local Plan and will be regarded as established clusters of housing within the countryside. Where suitable infill development opportunities have been identified, these are shown on the proposals map.
1.40 Twenty-four conservation areas are defined in the Local Plan. Click on the Key Panel for details. Also refer to policy E10 of the Plan. The reasons for their designation and most important attributes need to be better explained to assist decisions on development likely to have an impact on their character. Character appraisals will therefore be prepared during the Plan period in accordance with national planning policy.
1.41 The most significant spaces within and between town and villages are given policy protection from development pressures. A green belt for St Andrews has been defined to protect the town's landscape setting and the principal views to and from the historic core. In setting the green belt, the Council has decided that its boundary should endure and not be subject to frequent revisions to meet new development needs. The green belt therefore sets a context for the future direction of St Andrews' growth over the next 30 years but the Local Plan clearly sets the limits for development within that period. Green spaces are also shown where they help to safeguard important tracts of undeveloped land which penetrate built-up areas and provide access to the surrounding countryside.
See policy GB1 of the St Andrews Town Plan.
 
  Rural development
1.42 Development in the countryside is an area of planning policy sitting between the twin aims of safeguarding Fife's rural landscape and supporting the countryside economy and communities. The Local Plan's policies have been reviewed to provide a balance between these objectives by supporting development for employment and residential uses where they will help to sustain rural communities. New businesses, commercial leisure, and housing developments can assist rural regeneration of communities and the services they draw on; however, this runs contrary to conventional transport policy and so an assessment must be made to decide where the balance of interest lies among environmental, community, and transport considerations. Policies for development in the countryside will evolve as the economic and environmental circumstances change, and the policies for rural development will continue to be reviewed in light of new circumstances and if policy monitoring indicates the need to do so.
See policies E21 - E24 of the Plan for the relevant policies and proposals 12 -14.
1.43 Fife's coast forms part of its landscape character - its 'fringe of gold' - and is recognised as having an environmental and economic value. Provision is made, however, for development that requires a coastal location and contributes to the local economy. The coastal zone, the land related to and influenced by the coast, includes land up to 250 metres inland from the Mean High Water Springs, the coastal landscapes defined in the Fife Landscape Character Assessment and coastal habitats. The developed coast has been defined as settlements with a population greater than 2,000 and where there is existing large-scale development for industry, tourism and recreation outwith settlement limits. The coastal zone is defined to assist decisions on development proposals.
   
  Quality in the environment
1.44 The Fife Development Plan promotes good environmental quality. The Local Plan strategy is to apply this objective to new development as well as the natural environment so that the planning system improves what already exists, and creates value for the future. Specific proposals in the Local Plan are identified to bring about improvements in the built and natural environment. Redevelopment of brownfield, derelict, or damaged land, where appropriate, is encouraged in preference to greenfield development. In addition, the Local Plan's policies support the re-use of buildings in town and country where the proposed use is acceptable and meets the terms of these policies.
1.45 The quality of design in new developments remains a contentious matter and is largely subjective, but there is no doubt that a greater desire exists for design standards to be raised and for guidance to be applied. In many cases standards have improved but have done so inconsistently, and Local Plans have not assisted as much as they might have done. Consequently, this Local Plan proposes the development of design guidance in planning briefs and masterplans for large or important sites. The Fife Design Guide describes the principles for successful design in new development. The supplementary guidance in planning briefs will be prepared alongside the design guide for specific locations identified in the Town and Village Plans and in the Action Plan accompanying the Local Plan.
1.46 The Council, in partnership with the private sector or other community planning partners, will prepare the planning briefs. When the Council approves the briefs following consultation with the local communities affected by them, they will become material policy guidance in deciding on planning applications. New and innovative designs are encouraged in locations where they will add to the built environment. Such locations will include conservation areas and rural locations although design considerations in these places will be more complex by virtue of their setting and the need to protect and augment their character.
  Providing for community needs
  Objectives
1.47
  • Improve recreational and leisure opportunities and enable the development of community facilities where the means of providing them are available.
  • Encouraging the use of renewable energy technologies as an alternative to fossil fuels.
1.48 The age structure of the Scottish population has changed significantly over recent years and the pattern in Fife closely follows the national trend. The population profile for East Fife is characterised by fewer residents aged under 16 years compared to the Scottish average, and more residents older than 64. There is a need to plan ahead so that future development takes account of the anticipated need and to ensure social services such as education and healthcare are accessible to Fife's residents.
1.49 Access to a hospital is generally better than the Scottish position if residents have access to a car, but access to a GP or dentist falls below national averages. Planning for current and future service provision means locating services locally or enabling good access to services is available on a regional basis - across Council boundaries, if necessary. Healthcare, recreational, and retail services - if not provided locally - are available in Mid-Fife, Dundee, and Perth. Transport links to these areas are therefore important to those resident in the Local Plan area. Taken together with other aspects of the strategy, the policy objectives in this Local Plan can contribute to achieving the aims of Fife's Community Plan in terms of providing for stronger, safer, and well-educated communities.
 
  Services infrastructure
1.50 The supply and availability of water services - sewerage in particular - is a national planning issue. Scottish Water, as the body responsible for these services, is required to meet European legislation [5] on the treatment of wastewater and this is driving its spending priorities. This has the effect of restricting the availability of resources to meet the infrastructure needs arising from new developments and means that the implementation of the Local Plan's development strategy is affected significantly by the available capacity in the system for the first five years or so of the Plan period. Land for new development is therefore allocated and phased to take account of the restriction and this is reflected in the early phasing of land for development in Anstruther, Cupar, Newburgh, St Andrews, and within the Tay bridgehead, Newport and Tayport. In accordance with Local Plan policy S2 (development contributions), where development proposals require additional investment in water and drainage services, the Council requires that these will be paid for by the developments to be served.
See the relevant Town Plans for these settlements and the Action Plan.
[5] Water Framework Directive
1.51 Waste management is primarily a strategic matter and is addressed in the Structure Plan and in the Fife Area Waste Plan. The Local Plan contributes to the implementation of these documents' policies by safeguarding Lower Melville Woods, by Ladybank, as a site for waste disposal. Waste management at a neighbourhood level will be supported by requiring new developments to accommodate facilities for waste recycling, segregation, and collection.
See policies E39 - 41 .
1.52 Telecommunication infrastructure is now an essential part of everyday social, business, and leisure activities; it has also opened opportunities for access to services and learning opportunities in rural locations. The Local Plan provides a policy framework which supports the development of telecommunications infrastructure while having regard to environmental considerations.
See policy I8.
1.53 National planning policy NPPG 6 Renewable Energy Developments and associated advice notes provide the national context for renewable energy. Further guidance is given in the Council's Planning Customer Guideline Renewable Energy (2002). The commercial exploitation of potential renewable energy sources, including energy crops (biomass), is likely to be in the rural parts of the Plan area and should be considered in the context of planning policies covering such locations, and the advice contained in the Fife Landscape Character Assessment (1999). In the case of commercial wind farms, the entire Local Plan area is initially being considered to be a broad area of search, with the exception of the highest or most prominent hills and the most sensitive coastal landscapes - which equates to the undeveloped coast. The Customer Guideline provides a general indication of preferred areas for other technologies such as hydro power, geothermal, solar power, and solar passive design. A further, more detailed examination across Fife will be undertaken to provide more detailed boundaries for preferred areas for such developments as this and will feed into the finalised Local Plan.
See policies I1 - I3 of the Plan.
 
  Community infrastructure
1.54 Education capacity in primary and secondary schools is a recurring theme expressed through community consultations when preparing the Local Plan. School investment by Fife Council will be determined by a review of school assets, which is covering primary and secondary facilities. The land use implications of this are still being identified but planning has a role to play to inform the location of future school development. The Council's School Estates Strategy (2004) is looking to rationalise school provision in Fife. The Strategy will inform a rolling programme for the future development of school buildings and lead to the identification of education priorities across all of Fife. This is a long-term commitment but, in the interim where new development causes pressure on existing school capacity, a financial contribution will be required from the developer to alleviate that pressure. Fife Council Education Service and Development Services will continue liaison to co-ordinate the School Estates Strategy and Local Plan as the Estates Strategy and Local Plan progress.
See policy C11 of the Plan.
1.55 Proposals to build a new community hospital to serve St Andrews and the East Neuk have been in preparation since the early 1990s. The Local Plan strategy supports development of a new hospital by identifying a site in St Andrews which allows for future expansion if merited by the planned growth of St Andrews and the wider catchment area.
1.56 The Plan's strategy for leisure and recreation includes promoting further development of urban green spaces in Cupar and St Andrews through linking existing open spaces and seeking to identify opportunities to create new links through the towns and to the countryside. The future development of the Fife Core Path Plan is anticipated to identify further land use proposals which will require planning policy support, but the Core Path Plan will be the primary policy document for access and path proposals.
See Section 4 of the core policies for the relevant policies.
  Developing the transport network
  Objectives
1.57
  • Provide for a pattern of land use which reduces unnecessary travel but supports a choice of travel options.
  • Assist the implementation of Fife's Local Transport Strategy.
  • Safeguard options for future development of the transport network.
  • Support improvements to regional transport connections from East Fife.
1.58 In addition to the Fife Development Plan, Fife Council is preparing a Local Transport Strategy which looks ahead to 2025; this Local Plan has been prepared alongside the Local Transport Strategy and its constituent Area Transport Plan for East Fife. The respective strategies of these Plans complement each other. The predominantly rural nature of East Fife means there is a higher than average dependency on private transport. This is due to a combination of the dispersed settlement pattern, restricted public transport network, and higher household income levels leading to 31% of households with more than one car, compared with 25% for the whole of Fife.
1.59 The Local Plan strategy involves supporting the transport network by promoting major house releases close to sources of employment and, where possible, accessible to public transport to minimise the impact of commuting. In addition, development is located where it can best underpin the development of the transport network by means of development-led funding or by providing a supporting population to contribute to the viability of new public transport investment. Most development is proposed in areas that relate to the main strategic transport connections in the Plan area: Leuchars-Guardbridge; St Andrews; Cupar; Newburgh; and the Tay bridgehead. This provides good road and rail links to the main centres of Fife and to Scotland's principal urban centres which are important to the social and economic health of the area.
1.60 The East Coast mainline railway traverses the Local Plan area, giving access to England, north-east Scotland, and the central belt of Scotland via Edinburgh. Proposals to further develop rail connections in west Fife will bring added benefits to this area by offering additional connections - for freight in the first instance - to the central Scotland rail network. New development of the scale proposed in the Local Plan strategy will require improvements to the strategic transport network and so the Local Plan safeguards land for new railway stations at Newburgh and Wormit; details of these and the development contributions to them are in the respective Town and Village Plans.
1.61 The Area Transport Plan identifies specific proposals for individual towns and villages in the Local Plan area. Proposals requiring land to be safeguarded and which are programmed for implementation during the Local Plan period are shown in the Town and Village Plans and listed in the Action Plan. Land required for longer term development is safeguarded from development that would prejudice its use for transport, including land required to allow for transport link options into St Andrews from the rail network.
1.62 RAF Leuchars provides local air connections on a limited commercial basis in addition to its primary role as a military airfield. Recent studies on behalf of the Ministry of Defence have evaluated the business case for a more formal commercial operation but, as yet, the viability of this has not been established. Fife Council will continue to liaise with the Ministry of Defence and Scottish Enterprise Fife to review this situation. In the meantime, the Council supports the principle of potential commercialisation of the landholdings at RAF Leuchars to make use of spare capacity.
1.63 East Fife is well served by twelve harbours, many of which are still working facilities. The Local Plan strategy encourages the development of the harbours as operational facilities or for leisure and tourism purposes.
 
 
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